It's A Tough World At Disney, After All

WORKPLACE

ORLANDO — Disney World fired a handful of its costumed characters this week for attempting to organize a walkout in protest of the company's contract offer to 22,000 hourly workers.

Disney characters and parade performers are among the most vocal opponents to a proposed, 30-month contract that would raise wages but make workers pay more for health insurance.

Workers in the Service Trades Council Union have twice rejected the offer. A final vote is set for Dec. 10. Disney is threatening to revoke some of the contract's proposed pay raises if workers vote down the agreement again.

Frustrated with the offer, some Disney characters attempted to organize a mass sickout Nov. 23, during which characters and other Disney World workers would have missed work and shut down the resort's four theme parks.

Not enough workers followed through on the threat to affect the theme parks' operations. But more than 30 characters from the Animal Kingdom, the Magic Kingdom and Disney-MGM Studios were suspended.

Bill Ingram, a parade performer at the Animal Kingdom, said he and at least nine other characters were fired Tuesday from the Animal Kingdom. Another character said she was fired from the Magic Kingdom.

"I was not fired for calling in sick," Ingram said. "They said I was fired for introducing a disruptive element into the work environment."

Ingram and others said they have responded by filing union grievances against Disney.

Attempts to reach union officers with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which represents Disney characters, were not successful.

Disney's contract with the 22,000 hourly workers prohibits a strike or walkout. Because of that, Disney warned workers they would be disciplined -- even fired -- if they attempted a sickout.

Disney spokesman Bill Warren would not comment on the firings.

"As a policy, we don't discuss personnel matters," he said. "However, we are still operating under a union contract. We intend to honor the contract, and our expectation is that members of the bargaining unit would as well."